Shaheed in the jihad arena has a noble position in Islam. Al-Qur’an and al-Sunnah have mentioned many of its virtues. The Sahabahs and the salaf ulama's had raced to obtain it.

Martyrdom Is A Bliss

Al-Qur’an mentioned that martyrdom is a delightful gift from Allah for those who want It. This gift sends its owners towards perfection in life, fortune and happiness. Allah says:

“All who obey Allah and the Messenger are in the company of those on whom is the Grace of Allah,- of the Prophets (who teach), the Siddiiqiin (sincere lovers of Truth), the Martyrs, and the Righteous (who do good): And excellent are those as companions.” (QS. Al Nisaa: 69)

The meaning of Shuhada’ in the above verse, as mentioned by Sheikh Abdurrahman al-Sa’di, is the people who are going to war fie sabilillah for the sake of raising high the kalimah of Allah, and then they get killed.

Then, in the end of the verse, Allah mentioned that they are the best of companions in paradise for those who are always obedient to Allah and His Rasul.

The Shuhada’s Do Not Lose The Pleasures Of The World

Allah Ta’ala said:

وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آَتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

“And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving rizq (provision), rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty, and they receive good tidings about those [to be martyred] after them who have not yet joined them – that there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.” (QS. Ali Imran: 169-170)

Sheikh al-Sa’di rahimahullah mentioned in his tafseer that there are virtues and honours of the Shuhada’s in this sublime verse, as well as bounties and gifts that Allah gives to them . . . .

Regarding this subject, Dr. Abdullah Azzam narrated his experience, “...and indeed, we have witnessed some of the clear evidences, clearly showing that the Shuhada’s are alive.” Umar Hanif related to me (Abdullah Azzam), he said, “I have uncovered with my own hands twelve graves of the Shuhada’s. I have found that not even one Shuhada’ has the state of the jasad changed; and I noticed that some of them even have their beards growing and fingernails longs in the grave.”

And a story about Dr. Babrak who are shaheed in Urgun and he was brought to Phabi (camp of the Muhajirian Afghan in Peshawar). When his children had a look at his jasad after school and stood by his head, he (Dr. Babrak) wept and his tears were flowing on his face.

The Blood Of The Shuhada’s Has The Aroma Of Musk

The Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam said, “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is! Whoever is wounded in Allah's Cause....and Allah knows well who gets wounded in His Cause....will come on the Day of Resurrection with his wound having the colour of blood but the scent of musk.” (HR. Bukhari)

Dr. Abdullah Azzam conveyed, “Subhanallah! Indeed, we have witnessed it on most of the people who have died shaheed. The smell of their blood are like the aroma of musk. And indeed, in my pocket is a piece of letter – on it are drops of blood belongings to Abdul Wahid (Al Shaheed, insha Allah)- it has been 2 months, but the scent is very fragrant like that of musk.” (Special Gifts For The Mujahids, the work of Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Azzam)

Where Are The Arwah Of The Shuhada’s?

After knowing the virtues of dying shaheed and the superiority of the Shuhada’s, that they are essentially not dead and are not losing the pleasures. Hence, we are asking, “where are their arwah (spirits) actually?”

The arwah (plural of ruh – ed) of the Shuhada’s are placed in the the highest paradise i.e. Firdaus. This is based on the hadith of Rasullullah sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam who said to Ummu Haritsah binti Nu’man – her son got killed in the battle of Badar – when she asked him (about the fate of her son): “Where is he?” The Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam said: "Verily, he is in the high paradise of Firdaus." (HR. Al Bukhari)

In the Saheeh Muslim, from Mashruq rahimahullah, said: "We asked Abdullah about this verse (QS. Ali Imran: 169)"

He answered, "it so happens that we asked (the Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) about this issue, thus he answered:

“Verily, the arwah of the Shuhada’s are in the insides of green birds having lanterns suspended from the Throne, roaming freely in Paradise where they please, then taking shelter in those lanterns. So their Lord cast a glance at them (1) and said: ‘Do you wish for anything?’ They said: ‘What shall we wish for when we roam freely in Paradise where we please?’ And thus did He do to them three times. When they say that they would not be spared from being asked [again], they said: 'O Lord, we would like for You to put back our souls into our bodies so that we might fight for Your sake once again.' And when He saw that they were not in need of anything they were let be.” (HR. Muslim)

Imam al-Darimi in his sunan narrated from Mashruq, he said: “we have asked Abdullah about the arwah of the Shuhada’s. If not because of Abdullah, no one would have told us. He (Abdullah) said:

"The arwah of the Shuhada’s are with Allah on Judgement Day inside the belly of green birds. They have lanterns suspended from the ‘Asrh. They fly in Paradise to where ever they want. Then, they return to those lanterns, and their Lord honored them by saying: 'Do you wish for anything?' They asnwered: 'No, except for us to be returned to the world until we are killed (die shaheed) for the umpteenth time.'”

Imam an-Nawawi in Sharh Saheeh Muslim wrote, “. . . when they know that they can ask, they ask so that their souls would be returned to their jasads, to conduct jihad again or to provide their souls for the cause of Allah Ta’ala and enjoy the bliss (of dying) in Allah's path.” Walahu A’lam

The Shuhada’s ask to be returned to the world, whereas they are already in paradise, to feel the blissfulness of dying in Allah's cause as Shuhada’s.

Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam had known the blissfulness gained by the Shuhada’. For that reason, he expressed his desires to die in Allah's cause in his hadith:

“By the One in Whose Hand is my life, I love that I should be killed in the way of Allah; then I should be brought back to life and be killed again in His way.” (HR. Al Bukhari)

Indeed, death in the way of Allah is not as frightening as people have imagined. They are a lot of hadiths which relate that the Shuhada’s do not feel the pain when finding martyrdom, except like that of a pinch.

It was said by Rasulullah saallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam, “the people who die shaheed do not feel (the pain of) the slaying except like when one amongst you are feeling (the pain of) a pinch.” (HR. Ahmad, At Tirmidzi, An Nasa’i – hadith hasan)

Are we still afraid to conduct jihad fie sabilillah and find martyrdom in the way of Allah?

Sour©e: voa-islam.com

Translated and submitted by a Mujahid